MM Joshi evasive on Nitin Gadkari

New Delhi: Lamenting on the fact that money power was influencing every aspect of the society, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Murli Manohar Joshi said that moral values needed to be changed for the betterment of the country.

Joshi, in a candid chat with Swati Chaturvedi of Zeenews.com on her show Kahiye Janab emphasised on the need of transparency and accountability in public life.

Commenting on the scams being unearthed at a regular basis and politicians being heavily criticized for the same, Joshi said, “The issue is not only about the political parties, but according to me the problem is also about changing moral values.”

When asked to give his opinion on party president Nitin Gadkari, whose name has cropped up for alleged irregularities in his business deals, the BJP leader gave a tepid response saying, “It is not about a single individual. The problem pertains to the whole country.”

Giving his point of view on politicians who are also businessmen, Joshi, who is also the head of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said, “When a person gets involved both in business and politics simultaneously, then that individual cannot give his full attention to both. And when wrongdoings happen, then things come to the forefront automatically.”

“One should earn money but then the bad influence of money power shouldn’t be reflected in politics,” he added.

When asked about how influential people get away easily in India after committing wrongdoings, Joshi said, “These are intricacies of legal system. Another aspect is that not only the administration but the judiciary can also be influenced.”

On a sad note, the senior BJP leader said that gone were the days when people used to get justice but now the influential manage to get decisions in their favour.

“When money starts influencing all aspects of society like politics, judiciary, health and education, then nothing happens the right way,” he said.